Day Trips and Tours from Banff

The mountain haven of Banff in Alberta is an ideal home base for exploring a handful of national parks and wild spaces in the Canadian Rockies. Neighboring Yoho, Banff, Jasper and Kootenay National Parks plus several other provincial parks nearby have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

With glaciers, canyons, lakes, rivers and mountains to discover, you may want to extend your stay. Outdoor activities abound here in every season, and people of all ability and mobility levels can drink in the natural beauty on day trips and tours from Banff.

Banff National Park

Right at Banff’s doorstep is Canada’s first national park. Some of the Canadian Rockies’ most famous sites are contained within Banff National Park. Spy lakes and rivers running blue with glacial silt, scan valleys for elk, bear and bighorns, try out a winter sport or just take in the scenery from the comfort of a bus.

With the immense popularity of the park, crowded trailheads can make parking an unpleasant challenge. Eliminate frustrations on your day trip to Banff National Park by booking tours that include transportation to the park’s main attractions. Guided tour options include sightseeing drives with short hikes, full-day hikes, horseback rides, winter and water sports.

A half- or full-day sightseeing tour in the park will take you to the brilliant blue waters of Lake Louise and Moraine Lake (in summer only) through the Bow Valley, and offer the perfect vantage points to drink in the many peaks that stud the area.

In the winter, strap on snowshoes or step into skis for a quick lesson and tour at Lake Louise. In the summer, take a stand-up paddleboard lesson on Lake Johnson or board a big canoe for a fact-filled guided paddle on the Bow River. Horseback ride along the Spray or Bow Rivers through marshes, meadows and among towering summits.

Lake Louise

One of the best-known places in Banff National Park is Lake Louise. Its striking blue waters have drawn visitors for over 100 years. Get ready for the epitome of mountain beauty with jagged summits encircling the lake and reflecting in its waters. The area is a starting point for a variety of hikes, from short stints along the shore to full-day treks into the wilds.

Winter is when Lake Louise really shines. Snow sports and fun are easy on a guided tour or day-pass to Lake Louise Resort. Along with round-trip transportation from Banff, enjoy snowshoe or ski rental, a quick lesson and guided tour through the snowscape. Lace up skates or take a sleigh ride and marvel at ice sculptures in this winter paradise.

Plan the perfect family outing with a combo trip that includes three of the most popular spots in the park. Choose a combo tour that introduces you to Lake Louise plus the frozen bubbles of Abraham Lake, the sweeping vistas of the Icefield Parkway, the ice caves of Johnston Canyon or sites in Yoho National Park.

Johnston Canyon

Just looking at the pictures of Johnston Canyon will show you why this is one of the most visited spots in Banff National Park. The trail winds along Johnston Creek, which has scraped out a breathtaking gorge filled with caves, meanders, falls and rock formations over millennia.

A trip along this trail is spectacular at any time of year. Take a walk with snow cleats in the winter to frozen waterfalls and ice formations, and hike or ride an e-bike once the canyon thaws.

Moraine Lake

Made extra special by its remote location, it is only possible to reach Moraine Lake by a road that is closed for most of the year. Once the snow melts, make your way to this alpine gem. The lake sits in the Valley of Ten Peaks and is fed by glacial meltwater that lends the water its striking blue hue.

Day tours to Moraine Lake usually are part of a combination tour to other locales like Lake Louise, Larch Valley or Yoho National Park. For added luxury and comfort, you can also plan a customizable private tour to the lake and beyond.

Icefield Parkway and Athabasca Glacier

Also known as highway 93, the more poetically-named Icefield Parkway connects Banff to Jasper through some of the world’s loveliest terrain. The 3-hour drive from Banff to Jasper is worth savoring. Stop at overlooks for views of waterfalls, lakes, rocky peaks, rivers and glaciers. Even if you don’t travel all the way to Jasper, you’re sure to have great photo ops.

A little over 2 hours from Banff, the Athabasca Glacier is a star of the drive. Athabasca and nearby Crowfoot Glaciers are part of the ancient Columbia Icefield, the largest glacial mass in the Rockies.

Tours of Icefield Parkway plus Athabasca Glacier allow you to enjoy the scenery on the drive as well as access to the glacier. Board an “ice explorer” bus to venture onto the glacier, and absorb sweeping views from the glacier skywalk. Booking a tour to these remarkable sites provides transportation, fees, lunch and the help of a guide.

Kicking Horse River

Welcome to one of Canada’s best whitewater rafting rivers, just a few hours north of Banff. The Kicking Horse River features descending waters that tumble over boulders and crags, creating the perfect conditions for an invigorating paddle. Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned rafter, you can experience the thrills of the rapids.

With rapids ranging from class 1 to 4+, there are rafting trips catered to all ability levels. Beginners can get a feel for rafting with a 90-minute jaunt through class 1 to 3 rapids. If you’re looking for a challenge, book a tour that lasts from 2.5 hours to 4.5 hours. Shorter tours provide a BBQ lunch, and longer tours take you to two different runs on the river.

Lake Minnewanka

See Banff National Park’s biggest lake by boat, on a hike or from a heated vehicle in winter on a guided tour. Lake Minnewanka is more than postcard-pretty. Look for bighorn sheep, bears and coyotes along its shores and eagles dipping into the waves for fish. The lake also is the site of a submerged resort village that was flooded in 1941.

Tour the lake on a 1-hour cruise filled with informative commentary from a guide. Learn about the flora and fauna here, the area’s geology and the First Nations that once called the area home. Combo Lake Minnewanka tours also show you other hotspots in the park. Hike at Two Jack Lake, take an ice walk in Johnston Canyon and soothe tired muscles at Banff Hot Springs.

Grizzly Bear Refuge

The world’s largest enclosed grizzly bear habitat is found at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, about 150 kilometers west of Banff. A day tour to the Grizzly Bear Refuge gives you an up-close experience with this legendary animal as well as a summer outing at a picturesque ski resort.

An all-inclusive day tour to the refuge is typically fully-guided and provides round-trip transportation from Banff, all fees and lunch at Canada’s highest restaurant. Climb the mountainside in a gondola to the Eagle Eye restaurant for a lunch paired with alpine vistas. Next, continue your climb by chairlift to meet Boo, a grizzly who was orphaned as a cub.

Kootenay National Park

Just over the Alberta and British Columbia provincial border is Kootenay National Park, a reserve that boasts unspoiled views of peaks and meadows as well as one of the area’s most beautiful canyons. Day tours to the park take you to Marble Canyon, and combo tours extend your excursion to further reaches of the park, as well as a soak at Radium Hot Springs.

Marble Canyon is one of the park’s most coveted locations, especially in winter. Snowshoe treks into the canyon present you with frozen cascades and chilling views from bridges and the canyon’s edge. The flat 3-kilometer trail ends at the Paint Pots, mineral pools filled with pigments once used as paint by local tribes.

Grotto Canyon

Hidden and relatively unknown, Grotto Canyon is too close to Banff to miss out on. Just 30 minutes south of town is a trailhead leading to delightful sights. Take a winter ice walk in Grotto Canyon to discover rock formations, frozen falls and ancient rock art.